1. Brush Strokes From Image Grammar Harry R. Noden

2. Painting with Participles Participles = verbs with ing They are used as adjectives. They come at the beginnings or endings of sentences, separated by commas. Sentence: The diamond-scaled snakes attacked their prey (4). Participle Example: Hissing, slithering, and coiling, the diamond-scaled snakes attacked their prey (4). Participles can also be in phrases. Example: Hissing their red forked tongues and coiling their cold bodies, the diamond-scaled snakes attacked their prey (4).

3. Painting with Absolutes Absolute = Noun + Participle One or two absolutes in a sentence are good, three might overload. A comma – the telescopic lens – zooms in on the absolute, giving it emphasis. Example: The mountain climber edged along the cliff (Noden 6). Absolute: Hands shaking, feet trembling, the mountain climber edged along the cliff (6). -The absolute may also come at the end of the sentence. Absolute Phrase: Feet trembling on the snow-covered rocks, the mountain climber edged along the cliff (6). Group starter: The rhapis palm sat in the large, white container (6). Add one or two absolutes.

4. Noden’s Suggested Answer The rhapis palm sat in the large, white container, the branches stretching into the air, fibrous joints knuckling the otherwise smooth surface (6).

5. Painting with Adjectives Out of Order Used more by authors of fiction Not all adjectives have to precede a noun. This would work well if you had a string of three adjectives. Move a couple adjectives after the noun for emphasis. Sentence: The large, red-eyed, angry bull charged the intruder (Noden 9). Enhanced: The large bull, red-eyed and angry, charged the intruder (9). Group sentence: The woman smiled upon her newborn great- grandson with pride(9).

6. Noden’s Suggested Answer The woman, old and wrinkled, smiled upon her newborn great-grandson with pride (9).

7. Painting with Appositives Appositive=a noun that adds a second image to a preceding noun Appositive Phrase=noun with modifiers Sentence: The raccoon enjoys eating turtle eggs (Noden8). Appostive: The raccoon, a scavenger, enjoys eating turtle eggs (8). Apppositive Phrase: The raccoon, a midnight scavenger who roams lake shorelines in search of food, enjoys eating turtle eggs (8).

8. Painting with Action Verbs Eliminate being verbs and passive voice. -Being verbs slow down the action. -Passive voice weakens images. Example Passive Voice: The runaway horse was ridden into town by an old, white-whiskered rancher (Noden 10). Active Voice: The white-whiskered rancher rode the runaway horse into town. Example Being Verb: The gravel road was on the left side of the barn. Removed Being Verb: The gravel road curled around the left side of the barn (10). Group Sentence: The grocery store was robbed by two armed men (10).